Years in office: 2007–2010
Yar’Adua died on May 5, 2010, after a prolonged illness linked to heart and kidney complications. His prolonged absence from office due to medical treatment in Saudi Arabia sparked a constitutional crisis before Vice President Goodluck Jonathan was appointed Acting President and later succeeded him.
Years in office: 2009–2012
Atta Mills died suddenly on July 24, 2012, at age 68 after battling an undisclosed illness, widely reported to have been throat cancer. He became the first sitting Ghanaian president to die in office, with Vice President John Mahama succeeding him.
Years in office: 2004–2012
Mutharika suffered a massive heart attack during a cabinet meeting and died on April 5, 2012. His death initially triggered political uncertainty before Vice President Joyce Banda constitutionally assumed office.
Years in office: 2011–2014
Sata died on October 28, 2014, in London while receiving treatment for an undisclosed illness. Nicknamed “King Cobra” for his fiery political style, he was succeeded by Vice President Guy Scott on an interim basis.
Years in office as Zambian President: 2002–2008
Died on August 19, 2008, after suffering a stroke during an African Union summit in Egypt. He earned praise for his anti-corruption campaign.
Years in office as Guinea’s President : 1984–2008
Conté died on December 22, 2008, after years of battling diabetes and leukemia. His death paved the way for a military coup just hours later.
Years in office as president of Togo: 1967–2005
Eyadéma died on February 5, 2005, reportedly from a heart attack while being flown abroad for emergency medical treatment. His death sparked a constitutional crisis before his son, Faure Gnassingbé, eventually took over.
Years in office: 1961–1967
Gabon’s first president died of cancer on November 28, 1967, while still in office. He had survived an attempted coup in 1964 and remained one of the country’s most influential founding leaders.
Years in office as Guinea-Bissau President : 2009–2012
Died on January 9, 2012, in Paris after a prolonged illness related to diabetes, prompting a fresh political transition in Guinea-Bissau